CHAMBERSBURG — Ernest Aflakpui hasn’t wasted any time becoming a premier defender in his first year at Archbishop Carroll.

It wasn’t easy jumping into the Catholic League from Ghana, especially considering Aflakpui hadn’t consistently faced the type of competition he’s seen this year. Being thrust into the starting lineup was a bit of a culture shock, but the sophomore center quickly began showcasing his defensive skills.

He’s not the shot-swatter that teammate Derrick Jones is. That’s still a work in progress, but his ability to keep up with almost anyone is especially impressive considering his 6-10, 225-pound frame dwarfs most of the competition.

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Lately, though, it’s been his offense that has been opening eyes. He’s not giving up anything on the defensive end to get those points, but in the Patriots’ three state tournament games, he’s averaged 9.3 points per game, well above his regular-season average of six points per game. In Carroll’s 49-46 quarterfinal win over Chartiers Valley, he tied a season high with 13 points, snapping a 13-game stretch when he didn’t reach double-digit scoring.

Against the Colts, Aflakpui made six of his nine shots and showed patience, agility and exceptional footwork in the paint. Aflakpui’s footwork has been a big point of emphasis this year and it’s a major reason as to why he’s been able to contribute so much for Carroll. So what’s the secret behind a behemoth with the feet of a small forward?

“I used to play soccer a lot,” Aflakpui said with a smile. “I used to be the goalie first, then I played some defense and then striker. I liked goalie the best.”

Not all that surprising, considering he could probably reach shots that most goalies would only dream of, and he showed off his skills — some of which might actually appeal to Carroll football coach Joe Powel — on Chartiers Valley’s last inbounds pass when he read the pass perfectly and picked it off to cement the Patriots’ spot in tonight’s PIAA Class AAA semifinal against Montour at Chambersburg.

“Coach Paul (Romanczuk) kind of knew what they were going to do because it was 0.8 (seconds) left,” Aflakpui said after beating the Colts. “So he drew a play for us, so I had to do my part and everything worked great for us.”

That’s been a common theme for the Patriots (22-6) all tournament long. They showed an ability to win blowouts, like a 57-40 thrashing of rival Pope John Paul II in the second round, but also the poise to claim close wins, like a 47-42 win over Berks Catholic in the opener and the victory over the Colts. Teams that start only one senior and three sophomores — to go along with a junior — generally don’t have that type of composure in big situations and big games, but Carroll is a different breed.

The Patriots take on a District Seven champion Spartans team that, like Carroll, has proven it can win close games. In its 42-40 quarterfinal win over General McLane, Montour’s Kevin Scuilli and Rob Julian took eight free throws with less than 39 seconds to go and converted them all. The Spartans nearly won the state title a year ago when they took Neumann-Goretti down to the wire before falling, 48-45. That came a year after falling to the Saints, 55-45, in the championship game.

Neumann-Goretti’s not around anymore after a surprising 55-50 loss to Donegal, and that might have eliminated a mental roadblock for the Spartans. The WPIAL’s top dog and only remaining district champion in the bracket, Montour has the weapons to give Carroll all it can handle — and more. Both Scuilli and Julian have drained more than 60 3-pointers this year, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and with all of that experience, there isn’t much the Spartans haven’t seen.